Abstract: Partially recessed microlenses (31, 32; FIG. 3) are made in a substrate (10) by a technique including the steps of forming a hard-baked patterned layer (21, 22, 64, FIG. 2) on a surface of the substrate, this patterned layer having at least one island portion (21, 22) surrounded by an auxiliary portion (64), and simultaneously etching this hard-baked patterned layer and the substrate to remove at least a portion of the thickness of the hard-baked layer. The island portions are located at areas overlying where microlenses are desired. The volume of the auxiliary portions of the hard-baked patterned layer is advantageously significantly greater than that of the island portions.Full recessed microlenses (31, 32; FIG. 6) are made by adding a step in the above technique, namely, the step of forming another hard-baked patterned layer (94) covering only the auxiliary portions of the above-mentioned patterned layer prior to the etching.

Abstract: Fabrication of devices of micron and submicron minimum feature size is accomplished by lithographic processing involving a back focal plane filter. A particularly important fabrication approach depends upon mask patterns which produce images based on descrimination as between scattered and unscattered radiation.

Abstract: An optical interconnection arrangement having a high degree of connectivity and bandwidth is obtained by a non-collinear arrangement of lenses. In a preferred embodiment, the optical system comprises a first pupil lens, a second pupil lens and an array of fanout lenslets wherein the optical axes of the first and second pupil lenses are collinear. The first and second pupil lenses form an afocal system with the array of fanout lenslets situated between and at the focal planes of the first and second pupil lenses. Light beams from arrays of light emitting devices are collimated by input probe lenses that have their optical axes non-collinear with the optical axis of the first lens. The first pupil lens forms a coincident pattern of the arrays of light emitting devices. Additionally, the array of fanout lenslets fans out exiting beamlets comprising the coincident pattern such that each exiting beamlet substantially fills the aperture of the second pupil lens.

Abstract: A new confocal microscope and a new device fabrication method in which linewidth control is achieved using the new confocal microscope are disclosed. This new confocal microscope has a configuration which achieves multiple passes, e.g., three, four, five, six, seven or more passes, of the incident light through the objective lens of the microscope. As a consequence, the new confocal microscope exhibits a smaller effective depth of focus and a smaller effective resolution than a conventional confocal microscope.

Abstract: This invention is a highly efficient star coupler for use with single mode waveguides. In the inventive coupler, all of the input waveguides and all of the output waveguides are assembled to form two separate bundles. The two bundles are axially aligned with each other and the ends of the bundles are spaced apart. The ends of the waveguides of the bundle of output waveguides are polished to receive optical energy from the bundle of input waveguides. The end facet of the input waveguide bundle is shaped and polished to form a convex spherical surface. The diameter of each waveguide of the bundle is small relative to the diameter of the bundle of waveguides. Therefore, the end facet of each waveguide which makes up the convex spherical surface is angled very slightly relative to the waveguide axis. This slight angle on the end facet of the waveguide acts as a bevel to bend the optical energy coming out of the end of the waveguide.

Abstract: An optical logic device based on the time-shift-keying architecture is described in which digital logic functions are realized by applying appropriate signal pulses to a nonlinear shift or "chirp" element whose output is supplied to a dispersive element capable of supporting soliton propagation. In an optical fiber realization of the optical logic device, two orthogonally polarized pulses are supplied to the combination of a moderately birefringent fiber acting as the nonlinear chirp element and a polarization maintaining fiber acting as the soliton dispersive delay element having a anomolous group velocity dispersion at the signal wavelengths of interest. A nonlinear frequency shift is created in one of the pulses in the former element through cross-phase modulation and, in turn, the frequency shift is translated into a temporal shift of the affected pulse in the latter element. These devices operate at switching energies approaching 1pJ.

Abstract: This invention is a new optical packaging and interconnection technology which is particularly effective in not only addressing the problem of attaching fiber pigtails to glass waveguide silicon devices, but also in isolating these waveguide devices from the deleterious effects of their external environment. An important aspect of the invention lies in the novel realization that the foregoing objectives may be achieved by covering the device with a thin silica coverplate affixed with a low index epoxy, which act as an extended cladding layer for optically confining the optical radiation below the coverplate.

Abstract: A superabsorbent fabric cover (20) is provided for horticultural uses. The fabric cover includes an absorbent member (25) comprising a substrate which has been impregnated with a superabsorbent material. When the fabric cover is exposed to water the superabsorbent material gels and controls the passage of additional water. Water retained by the cover provides a moist atmosphere or greenhouse effect for plants over which the cover is placed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaning process for use primarily in the fabrication of printed circuit boards. Cleaning is done in-line with the coating and development of a photoresist layer. The process includes a spray cleaning and micro-etch, followed by the application of an anti-tarnish so that the boards can be stored prior to plating.

Abstract: An N.times.N passive star coupler can be used to provide a high performance optical data network to interconnect many users at gigabit rates. Ignoring excessive losses, a signal incident on any input port is divided equally between all of the output ports. The average power at all of the input ports N of the star is equal to the average power at all of the output ports N. But, the power per channel at each output port is equal to only 1/N of the applied power. This loss which is due to splitting cannot be recovered by an amplifier at either the input port or the output port of the star coupler unless the amplifier saturation power is greater than the transmitter power. This invention solves the problem of amplifier saturation.

Abstract: A group of loose cabled optical fibers (32--32) destined to be terminated by a multi-fiber connector device is first fabricated into an optical fiber ribbon (30). The optical fibers of the group are threaded through portions of an organizing shuttle (20) and brought into planar juxtaposition with each other by the cooperation of a curved surface (112) and a burnishing bar assembly (98). As the organizing shuttle is caused to be moved along a track (42), the burnishing bar assembly causes the planar array of fibers to be embedded into an adhesive coating of a first binding tape (34) which is secured along the length of the track. In a preferred embodiment, a second tape (35) is applied over the fibers and the first tape. The ribbon is trimmed of excess longitudinal side portions of the binding tapes to provide a ribbon of desired width.

Abstract: An apparatus (40) for attaching successive pairs of wires (25) to successive pairs of opposed contacts (20) includes a pair of opposed ram assemblies (54), each provided with a knife blade (56) for ramming a wire against the contact for attachment thereto. Advantageously, the knife blade (56) is provided with a contact protector assembly (64) which serves to straddle the contact during wire attachment to protect the contact against deformation. The attachment apparatus (40) is also provided with a mechanism (88) for attaching each of a pair of strain reliefs (26,28) to the connector following attachment of the wires to the contacts to avoid the need to handle the connector between these two operations and to prevent any stress to the connection between the wire and contact.

Abstract: A reduced-blocking system where a perfect shuffle equivalent network having a plurality of node stages successively interconnected by link stages, is advantageously combined with expansion before the node stages and/or concentration after the node stages in a manner allowing the design of a system with arbitrarily low or zero blocking probability. An illustrative photonic system implementation uses free-space optical apparatus to effect a low loss, crossover interconnection of two-dimensional arrays of switching nodes comprising, for example, symmetric self electro-optic effect devices (S-SEEDs). Several low loss beam conbination techniques are used to direct multiple arrays of beams to an S-SEED array, and to redirect a reflected output beam array to a subsequent node stage.

Abstract: Various methods have been proposed for measuring the viscosity of thermosetting polymers. It has been found that these method are generally inaccurate. A test which avoids the inaccuracies of previous techniques is proposed. In this test the heated thermosetting resin is forced at a known flow rate through a runner and through a capillary tube at the end of the runner. By measuring the pressure differential across the capillary a meaningful measure of viscosity is obtained.

Abstract: A mandrel (12) that is used for supporting a glass soot cylinder during consolidation into anoptical fiber preform is coated by chemical vapor deposition with a material selected from the group consisting of pyrolytic graphite and pyrolytic boron nitride.

Abstract: An optical fiber (20) which includes at least one coating layer is provided with a color identification system which is nonpigmented. In a preferred embodiment, the optical fiber includes two layers (26,28) of coating materials. Applied over the outer one (28) of the two coating layers is a color identification layer (30). The color identification layer may comprise an oligomeric composition of matter and a polymeric dye. For those instances when relatively high hiding power is required, such as when optical fiber has been provided with a hermetic coating, the color identification system also includes an opacifier. In an alternative embodiment, the outer or secondary coating layer is a composition of matter which comprises the opacifier and the polymeric dye.

Abstract: Apparatus for retaining a threaded device in association with an article when the article is disengaged from another. The apparatus is intended for mounting on the article and has a center section formed with a center aperture sized for receiving the threaded device. A pair of elongated arm members each extend from opposite edges of the center section and are formed over onto a surface of the center section with an inner edge thereof configured to extend into the center aperture and engage the threaded device when the threaded device is inserted into the center aperture. The elongated arms are in compressed engagement with the surface of the center section when the threaded device secures the article to another article and expand when the threaded device is disengaged from the other article to cooperate with each other in securing the threaded device to the article.

Abstract: Successive graphical segments in a stream of graphical information are processed by first storing each segment within a storage register (12). Thereafter, the stored graphical segment is then acted upon by at least one combinational logic array (16) configured of at least one network (24-1 . . . 24-n), each network being comprised of at least one logic device (26,30). Each logic device performs a prespecified processing operation, such as, for example, a test or a modification, to the stored graphical segment. The prespecified processing operation is dictated by a separate one of a set of rules by which each network is to process the graphical segment. Once the graphical segment has been processed by the logic devices in each of the networks of the combinational logic array, the processed graphical segment is written to an output buffer for subsequent display or storage.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical communication system comprising at least two optical fibers of dissimilar core sizes, joined by a fusion splice. In one embodiment, the larger-core fiber is a communication fiber, and the smaller-core fiber is an erbium-doped amplifier fiber. A taper region is included adjacent the splice. The diameter of the smaller-core fiber increases within the taper region as the splice is approached along the smaller-core fiber. The taper region is substantially free of constrictions. As a consequence of the taper region, the optical losses associated with the splice are relatively low, even when there is relatively high mismatch between the mode field diameters (at a signal wavelength) in the respective fibers.

Abstract: Measurement of the thickness of a light-reflective layer (20) on a light-translucent substrate (10) is carried out in a non-destructive fashion by placing a light-reflective member of a known height, taller than the layer, adjacent thereto. The height difference between the layer and the member is measured optically, using the triangulation technique. By subtracting the measured height difference from the known height of the member, the height of the light-reflective member is easily obtained.